DJ Nu-Mark (born Mark Potsic), also known as Uncle Nu, is a Polish-Iranian-American hip-hop DJ mostly known for his membership of Jurassic 5, an American five-piece hip-hop crew consisting of one DJ and four MCs. DJ Cut Chemist was also part of the original group but left the band in 2006 to pursue a solo career.

DJ Nu-Mark is a renowned hip-hop producer and DJ. His discography includes all four Jurassic 5 album releases (Jurassic 5 LP, Quality Control, Power in Numbers and Feedback), a Sequence Session Mixtape CD entitled Hands On and his most recent project, collaborating with Pomo to create Blendcrafters. He also collaborated on several tracks of the popular "Mushroom Jazz" series.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

From the some cheese is good for you department... The hopefuls over at Positivity for Purpose wrote in to tell us about some great events...

Hello Elevated Peoples!!!

What started out as a little ole idea has snowballed into somethingway more amazing!!!

The artists line up is from all over the South:

Get connected! www.myspace.com/positivity4purpose Set yourcalendars for There IS H.O.P.E. in Hip Hop, Saturday, September 1stThe All Day Free highlighting 20 less fortunate individuals.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

10 am - 2 pm Helping Hands of Hope - River City Youth Foundation -Dove Springs unites with P4P and many, many hip hop artists and theirfamilies in preparing the 20 care packages being distributed laterthat day at the Co-Op Bar for the less fortunate.

6 pm - 8 pm Live music by New Culture Sounds-NCS (Austin, TX) and AGirl Named Phil (Killeen, TX) during the feeding fiesta with guesthost Pilarsito .

9 pm - 11 pm Live performances by The Catracho Clan (Houston, TX), VIP(Austin, TX), Tactic (Austin, TX), Kam Kutta (Atlanta, GA) andAustin's new local artists from Straight Up Records DJ Knowledge willbe on the 1's and 2's in the back while DJ 2DQ will be in thefront!!! Special guests include X-Clusive Clothing DJs (Atlanta, GA)

12 Midnight - 2 am Celebration Party - promotional stunt at The BayouLounge with every DJ at their disposal this party is no-holds-barredas every invited artist gets to present their promotional swag to thisvenue's 300+ patrons! 21+ to get in.

We got two drop stations and three more to add! Big THANK YOU toCindy out at Common Grounds in Round Rock for serving as our NorthAustin Donation Drop Station and Jacob down at The Co-Op on 6th Streetfor serving as our Central Austin Donation Drop Station!

On Friday, August 31st @ 8 pm Common Grounds will be hosting a Funk/Gospel/Hip Hop musical showcase with Still Water Entertainment. Checkthem out: www.myspace.com/praiseismypurpose . Musicians AgainstPoverty unites with P4P to bring HOPE one heart at a time. Go to yourlocal Wal-Mart, General Dollar or Family Dollar stores and pick up anunopened package of Women's or Men's T-shirts, Underwear or Socks anddrop them off at either Common Grounds or with Jacob on a Friday/Saturday @ The Co-Op on 6th.

If your company is interested in becoming a Donation Drop Station forThere IS H.O.P.E. in Hip Hop - please email P4P atpositivity4purpose@gmail.com or call/text 512-786-2627. Getconnected!

RCYF Hosts Care Packages Preparation Party!

Big things poppin with little ones lending a helping hand at the RiverCity Youth Foundation's Dove Springs center on Saturday, September 1st@ 10am - 2 pm! Bring your family and get connected with P4P as weshow our city's youth how to reach out to their community. Austinartists will be on hand to help the kiddos prepare the 20 carepackages needed for the 20 clients Austin's Hip Hop Community isgiving hope to. Its a family affair!

Big shout out to Sue Cole, Program Coordinator @ RCYF for lending thehelping hands of close to 40 kiddos in effort to combat poverty in ourcity. P4P loves both Sue and Executive Director, Mona Gonzales forallowing us to work with the youth at the center in order to make adifference one heart at a time.

Preparation tables and assembly lines will have the "Santa's LittleHelpers" type set up. Artists interested in convoying over to thecenter can call/text 512-786-2627 for more details. This is one partyyou don't want to miss. Get your whistle on while you work with thelittle ones!

Be sure to send this email out to your church, work and familyfriends! We want everyone to have the chance to get involved!

All ATX Hip Hop artists are encouraged to contact P4P to volunteerduring client serving times and show support to H.O.P.E . Helping OurPeople Elevate: Call or Text 512-786-2627 or email P4P atpositivity4purpose@gmail.com for more details.

ATX Stand UP!!!

P4P has been busy! Below is the info sent out across our city on whatP4P has been busy doing this summer with our city's youth! Big shoutout to our friend, Carl Webb, for spreading the news! Feel free toforward this email to ALL your church, job and family contacts! Thisis one community outreach event you don't want to miss! There trulyIS hope in hip hop!

Dubbed "One of Texas' brightest new stars" by legendary rapper The D.O.C., Bavu Blakes is the ultimate wordsmith by both definitions. He is the 2006 Austin Music Award winner for best hip-hop act, a freelance journalist who has published stories in the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and the Urban Music Director (and on-air personality) of Time Warner's Music and Entertainment Television.

Equally adept at writing, performing and freestyling, Mr. Blakes offers both clarity and hype. While words and rhymes are clearly where his talents shine, he places equal importance on beats. By defining tracks in terms of mood, rhythm and melody, he makes the music sound better. Creating a sense of cohesion between the lyrics and beats, Mr. Blakes's music reveals this approach through clever, thought-provoking lyrics over diverse beats guaranteed to entice any listener's ear.

Monday, August 27, 2007

From the I need a drink this Monday department... The Remedy, a monthly event every last Monday is tonight @ Whisky Bar... Dirty Sound Trash Stars, a group consisting of Element7D, Young Nick, and Pop, will be performing... along with Da Blacc Goliath... and Notion... Get up, Get out and Move something...

Percee P (born John Percy Simon in 1971) is an underground hip-hop artist from the Patterson Projects in The Bronx, New York City, United States. Although he has never released an official album of his own, he is known in the underground for selling his mixtapes himself at shows and for his many guest appearances on other alternative and underground hip-hop artists' releases. He has worked with such rappers as Big Daddy Kane, Kool Keith, Lord Finesse, Aesop Rock, Edan the Deejay, Jurassic 5, C-Rayz Walz, Jaylib, Jedi Mind Tricks, Maestro Fresh Wes, Wildchild, and many more.

Percee P's debut album Perseverance will be released by Stones Throw Records on September 18, 2007, and is to be produced entirely by Madlib.

Percee P has been emceeing since 1979 and is considered one of the few old skool rappers still in the game.

Percee's voice is sampled on DJ Shadow's song "Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain" from the album Endtroducing......

His legendary battle with Lord Finesse from 1989 was immortalized on Edan the Deejay's Fast Rap mixtape, and a complete video of it has since surfaced as a bonus feature on the SBX DVD.

He is something of a legend in the underground scene due to his ubiquitous presence, yet complete determination to stay hardcore underground.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

From the here's another one at ya department... Brian from KCET again wrote in to tell us about an interview by Tavis Smiley of Talib Kweli talking of his cool new album Ear Drum... catch the show tonight on PBS, Austin Channel 18 @ 12AM... otherwise you can always peep it online... Thanks Brian!

Talib Kweli Talks About His New Album Ear Drum On “Tavis Smiley” Tonight.

Rapper Talib Kweli just released his fourth solo album yesterday. Thealbum Ear Drum is his first album that is recorded under his own recordlabel, Blacksmith Music. The album features collaborations with KanyeWest, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones, KRS-One and Roy Ayers. Today Kwelisat down to talk with Tavis about his new album among other things.

When Tavis Smiley asked Talib Kweli about his new album and how itcompares to his previous albums, Talib Kweli told Tavis that he doesn’tlike to compare albums because “they are like children” meaning he doesn’tlove one more than the other they are just different. The album Ear Drumhe states exemplifies the music that he grew up listening to. Talib Kweliworked with people such as Kanye West who he feels was influenced by thesame people that he was growing up.

Tavis Smiley also asked Talib Kweli about how he was able to be consideredthe best lyricist out there today. Kweli responded by saying thatalthough he is proud to be associated with artist such as The Roots, KanyeWest, Jay-Z, Common and Mos Def he feels that they have all ventured offinto new avenues such as movies, and acting. While a lot of the otherpopular artists have expanded into other areas he worked to “master hiscraft of pure lyricism.” For Kweli the draw is lyrics.

Tavis Smiley talked with Kweli about why he started his own label. Kwelifelt that Geffen Records did a poor job in marketing him. On Kweli’searlier album’s he had to pay for all of his videos out of his own pocket.He was discouraged at the fact that other artist such as 50 Cent andKanye West started after him and they were reaching higher levels faster.The fact that other artist were accomplishing more made him revaluate whathe was doing and how he was going at the business.

Kweli also discussed the fact that he grew up with two parents, who bothworked as professors. He said having two parents as educators have madehim gravitate towards other artists who also have professors as parents.He also has said that having both parents in education has given him astrong work ethic with out a large financial reward. He said that growingup and watching his parents give to the community and being involved without a large financial reward has taught him the value of being involvedand give back to the community.

You can see the entire interview tonight on “Tavis Smiley.” For showtimes you can go to http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/. If you miss the interview a pod cast will also become available on the website.

From the I'm a little late, but it's ok department... Brian from KCET wrote in to tell us about an interview by Tavis Smiley of Pras Michel talking of his cool new documentary "Skid Row"... you can still get at it online... or just watch it below. Thanks Brian!

From Brian...

Pras Michel of The Fugees Talks About Living On The Streets OfCityplaceLos Angeles On “Tavis Smiley.”

Pras Michel was the director and star of the documentary “Skid Row.” Inthe documentary he lives on the streets of downtown placeCityLos Angelesfor 9 days in an area called “skid row,” where there are approximately11,000 homeless people living on the streets.

During the documentary Pras was budgeted one dollar a day. Anything elsehe needed he had to come up with a way to get on his own. During theinterview with Tavis Smiley, Pras talks about learning to pan handle, andwhat it takes to survive on the streets. He describes one ironic scene inthe movie in which he is pan handling underneath a billboard that displayshim and the rest of his Fugees counterparts.

He also describes one of the hardest things of being homeless is that whena person is homeless people don’t even acknowledge them. He talks abouthow people try to pretend that homeless people aren’t around, the act like“they don’t exist.” He goes on to state that “when they don’t see you,the glamorous life, no one cares.”

You can watch the entire interview tonight on “Tavis Smiley.” For showtimes in your area you can go to http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/.You can also get a copy of the transcripts and an audio podcast for theshow on the web site.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

From the let's christen the new site department... from peaking at number 1 on the charts... Common @ La Zona Rosa on Sept 16th. It's an official ACL Fest Aftershow... and whoa it's $30... get them here.

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (b. March 13, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois), better known as Common, is a Grammy-nominated American hip hop artist. He is best known for songs that focus on spirituality, poverty, and other issues to do with social awareness. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow A Dollar?, and maintained a significant underground following into the late 90s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and moderate commercial success. Its popularity was matched by 2005's Be, which was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album.[1] Common has also started a burgeoning film career, starting with a role in the action thriller, Smokin' Aces, which will be followed by a part in American Gangster.

Devin The Dude (born Devin Copeland), is a hip hop artist from Houston, Texas. Though relatively well-known among the underground hip-hop community, Devin did not achieve mainstream success until his breakout performance on the single Fuck You on Dr. Dre's 2001 album, released in 1999. Devin has released four albums, The Dude, Just Tryin' Ta Live, To Tha X-Treme and Waitin' To Inhale He was also a member of southern rap groups "Odd Squad", "Facemob", and recently has released an album with his group, The "Coughee Brothaz" entitled "Collector's Edition". Devin's work is also light-hearted and comically self-deprecating.

Shann•fab (shann fab), n. more commonly known as a nuclear explosion, occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from an uncontrolled nuclear reaction. The driving reaction may be nuclear fission or nuclear fusion or a multi stage cascade of both.

The degree to which Shannfab succeeds in this race determines its efficiency. Poorly designed or malfunctioning Shannfab may "fizzle" and release only a tiny fraction of its potential energy.

The primary application to date has been military i.e. USO shows, however, there are potential other applications which have not yet been applied...

Shannfab has been environmentally tested at the Dirty Dog, the Copa Bar, Caribbean Lights, the Factory Haunt, and the Red Eyed Fly in Austin Texas.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

From the I like to play with some lady humps department... Ephraim Owens and Nick Nack @ Plush tomorrow night, August 15th for what will definitely be a sick show... just think about it... a DJ and a trumpet. That's just sick.

So I'm in a class these next couple days learning about how to be a better presenter. I would highly recommend everyone take such a class, especially, if you'd like to move up in the world. Effective communication and the ability to convey knowledge is essential in today's work environment. I wouldn't confine it to work either... everyday life. I'm wondering how I can use what I've learned to make Austin Hip-Hop Scene better...

Owens began playing trumpet in elementary school, after classmates urged him to join the school band. He continued his music education at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas and earned a music scholarship to Southwest Texas State University. Ephraim studied classical music until he switched to Jazz after attending a Roy Hargrove concert.

Owens moved to Austin, Texas in 1994 and became a fixture in the Austin music scene. Austin Mayor Bruce Todd proclaimed June 14, 1997 as Ephraim Owens Day, for his musical achievements. Ephraim has played all over the world and is adaptable to all styles of music, but mostly he plays his favorite music, jazz.

Owens appears in a documentary film exploring the musical styles of the United States entitled, Before the Music Dies. Other featured artists include: Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Erykah Badu, and Widespread Panic.

Owens currently plays with Blaze, and his various quintets, quartets, and trios.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Saw the movie The Pursuit of Happyness last night... not a great movie in terms of acting, cinematography... but the story is amazing... at the core, it's a story about human survival... makes you wonder if that kind of greatness is within all of us... and with the right stimulation, we can all achieve amazing things...

Adrian Croom presents the Austin Beat Battle. This is a head to head producer battle that only leaves one beat maker left on stage. If you're an up and coming beat maker who wants to test their skillz against local talent, then this event is for you. The battle will be held every month at Flamingo Cantina in Austin. For further details on the rules of the battle please send us a message. If you would like to compete or have any questions regarding the Austin Beat Battle then please feel free to hit us up with a message

The Air Force 1 athletic shoe, is a product of Nike, Inc. [1] created by designer Bruce Kilgore. This was the first basketball shoe to use the Nike Air technology.[2]

The name is a reference to Air Force One, the plane that carries the President of the United States. The shoes are sold in three different types: the low, the mid-top, and the high-top and come in many different colourways, forms, textures, and patterns. The two most common forms of the Air Force 1's are the all white and, all black pairs. The Mid-Top Air Force 1 is a variation of the shoe and comes with a non-removable strap and a higher top.

The Air Force 1 was produced in 1982 and discontinued the following year. It was re-released in 1986 with the modern italic Nike logo with a swoosh on the bottom on the back of the shoe. Little has changed to the Air Force One since its creation in 1982, although the original stitching on the side panels is no longer present in modern versions of the shoe. Since then, over 1,700 color variations have been produced, bringing in an estimated 800 million USD/yr in revenue.[1][3] The selling of the Air Force Ones online by certain retailers is prohibited by Nike who has restricted supply of the sneaker.[4]

Nike Air Force 1s were originally considered the favored shoe of hip-hop artists and basketballers and street players. Rappers Nelly, Murphy Lee, Ali and Kyjuan collaborated on a 2002 single about the shoes. The shoe transcended its status from purely a basketball shoe to becoming "the shoe that can be worn anywhere".

The "Air Force 2" shoe introduced in 1987 is a newer variation of the original. The shoe is a typical flat soled, casual-wear sneaker that can be made in many different variations of colors. Also, Air Force 2s were re-released internationally in the early 2000's. They can be made in either the low-cut or high-top style. The shoe can be custom made in any color, but typically it has either a white or black based background color with almost any color used to fill in the Nike Swoosh and back heel.

I am currently in the process of recording my second solo effort teamed with Dj Egadz that will be released later this year... project and group title will be announced later this summer... check for extensive tour dates thru-out the summer and come catch the new live deal... massive respect to all the people who have offered there patience and support

The POOR EXCUSE album is pending... but it's good.

BLACKOUT SANDS goes back into the studio August to finish the massive full-length that will be available someday.

I am part of the shitcreek family...also one of the survivng members of the monotonous music collective. Nomadic by spirit, gypsy by choice and unpredidictable by accident... will travel for food. Played some shows.... made some songs ... gathered some friends and plan on continuing to do so as long as Im allowed.

He’s given us My Child, My Child, My Alien Child and followed it with B-Boy Bluez. So what does Zell Miller III have up his sleeves this summer at the Vortex?

Breakdancers on skates, champion poets, hip hop musicians, and so much more.

It’s The Hip Hop Theater Explosion starting this Thursday at 8 pm. Packed with amazing hip hop performers, it will take three whole nights to watch them all!

This year, Miller’s show is for more than just entertainment. It’s about forming relationships, building a stronger community, and putting Austin hip hop under a different kind of spotlight - all in classic Miller style.

“For theater-goers, the next time they hear hip hop, they’ll remember this amazing thing they saw at the Vortex and have a different attitude about it,” says Miller. “There is an amazing culture of young people doing this work and it’s not all about the ‘bling bling’ and being derogatory toward women. It’s positive, it’s beautiful and creative.”

By blending his love for hip hop culture with his passion for theater arts, Miller hopes other theaters will join in the phenomenon exploding around the country. Hip Hop Theater itself is not a new “trend” in the theater circuit. Danny Hoch and Will Power are two pioneers responsible for bringing hip hop out of the club and onto the stage.

An actor, playwright and director, Hoch (dannyhoch.com) founded the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in 2000 and has received numerous awards for his work, such as the Sundance Writers Fellowship and two OBIES. Power (willpower.tv), also an actor and playwright, rapper and educator, performs an internationally-acclaimed solo show entitled, “FLOW,” that combines his original music, rhyming, and hip hop choreography. His awards include the 2006 Peter Zeisler Memorial Award, 2004 Jury Award for Best Theatre Performance at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, and the NYFA Fellowship, among others.

In this latest hip hop masterpiece, Miller will be giving the audience, “just a taste of the enormous talent that’s living right under their noses.”

It’s also a showcase of the talent Miller has inspired through his many poetry/workshops and volunteer mentoring sessions.

One such performer is Jeffery Johnson Jr. He met Miller at a play audition when he was 14-years-old. Currently representing the city of Austin in the 2007 National Poetry Slam, Johnson helps kids at Lifeworks, a non-profit social services agency. As Da’Shade Moonbeam, he’s also one half of hip hop duo Blacklisted Individuals, who are in the running for the $10,000 prize on Famecast.com.

Education being an important function of hip hop culture, Johnson took what he learned from Miller and passed the torch along to Chris Floyd. They met at one of Miller’s workshops at Reagan High School two years ago. Floyd recently returned from Brazil as part of an international cultural exchange program. Performing Thursday as Gator of four-man crew Public Offenders, the 21-year-old has taught workshops on how to use spoken word as a way to motivate teens and is also an instructor at the 21st Century After School program.

Miller has a budget of $0 for the show, but knows the performers are doing it for the love of the culture.

Johnson says, “This is something that is long overdue in our community. This will revitalize people’s interest in theater arts in Austin period.”

It also provides the hip hop community with an opportunity to gather under unique circumstances in a different space. Along with several vendors, the three-night event will be bringing people together that might not have had the chance to meet.

“Anybody creating work, whether graf writing, breakdancing, or DJ-ing, all that can be turned into theater,” explains Miller.

For those that prefer to appreciate hip hop from a comfy theater seat and on stage, this show is for you. For those in the hip hop community, it’s added proof of the culture’s reach and impact on today’s generation.

This hip hop theater piece is for the whole family and you can even pick your own ticket price, starting at $10. All donations will go toward paying back the artists.

Heading out to Miami on Thursday for a bachelor party, we're taking a cruise out from Miami. My buddy who planned it does alot of Music Masala cruises, so I'm afraid that we're going to be groovin with a bunch of uncles and aunties.